{"id":3522,"date":"2021-11-22T12:36:08","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T17:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plateapr.com\/en\/?p=3522"},"modified":"2021-11-29T09:22:07","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T14:22:07","slug":"christmas-in-puerto-rico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plateapr.com\/en\/travel\/christmas-in-puerto-rico\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons You Should Spend the Holidays in Puerto Rico"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you crave an escape from the cold winter weather or just want a change of scenery for the holidays, Puerto Rico is a sure bet. Here are three reasons why you should book your winter vacation to the Island of Enchantment now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. It\u2019s easy to get there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several daily direct flights from the U.S. to Puerto Rico\u2019s Luis Mu\u00f1oz Mar\u00edn International Airport (SJU). New Yorkers can reach the island in just under 4 hrs. and Miami residents can touch down in about 2\u00bd hrs. Direct flights are also available from Newark, Raleigh, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia and Dallas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No passport? No problem! Puerto Rico is a U.S. Commonwealth territory. If you\u2019re a U.S. citizen, you don\u2019t need a passport to visit. All you need is your driver\u2019s license or identification card. Additionally, Puerto Rico\u2019s two official languages are Spanish and English and the currency is the U.S. dollar, making it even easier to vacation here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man
Source: Passengers at Luis Mu\u00f1oz Mar\u00edn Airport \/ Discover Puerto Rico <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. It\u2019s an ideal escape from the cold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What better feeling is there than to shed those extra layers and feel the warm sand between your bare toes? With nearly 300 beaches, Puerto Rico provides plenty of postcard-perfect places to soak up the seemingly endless sunshine. Beyond the beach, there are a variety of ways to enjoy the outdoors thanks to the island\u2019s distinct topography. Hike El Yunque, the only rainforest on U.S. soil; explore a vast system of caves in the island\u2019s Karst Country; and immerse yourself in history as you wander cobblestone streets of the nearly 500-year-old city, Old San Juan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The island\u2019s climate is tropical marine, so it\u2019s usually sunny and warm almost year round. A winter visit (from December to March) also means you\u2019ll skip the rainy season. Daily high temperatures during the winter average around 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). Low average temperatures rarely fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). Mountain temperatures can drop as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beach
Source: Beach sunset at Rinc\u00f3n, Puerto Rico \/ Discover Puerto Rico <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Puerto Ricans do Christmas right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you feel like the holiday season is too short, you should definitely spend it in Puerto Rico. Locals here celebrate one of the world\u2019s longest holiday seasons. Festivities begin the day after Thanksgiving and generally end three weeks after New Year\u2019s Day. Christmas comes to a close with the San Sebasti\u00e1n Street Festival in Old San Juan. This iconic street party began more than 40 years ago to honor Saint Sebasti\u00e1n, an early Christian saint and martyr. During the day local artisans line up along the streets selling handmade crafts and jewelry. Food vendors serve up traditional Puerto Rican specialties like pinchos<\/em> (chicken or pork kebabs), bacalaitos<\/em> (fried codfish fritters) and empanadillas<\/em> (crescent shaped turnovers filled with meats or seafood). In addition, musicians and dancers perform on various stages throughout Old San Juan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Los
Los Parranderos \/ Source: Discover Puerto Rico<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Another popular Puerto Rican Christmas tradition is parranda<\/em>, which is similar to Christmas caroling. Friends and family quietly gather at a house\u2014usually after 10pm\u2014to surprise the unsuspecting homeowner. Singers are accompanied by guitars, tambourines, maracas and other musical instruments. The serenade concludes with an invitation to share food, drink and merriment for an hour or two. The party then moves to the next house, bringing along the receiver of the previous parranda<\/em>. The celebration continues from house to house until around 3-4am. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christmas meal in Puerto Rico is typically served on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) before families attend midnight mass. Traditional Christmas dishes include lech\u00f3n<\/em> (roast suckling pig) and pasteles<\/em>, which are made of plantains or cassava and stuffed with meat, capers and potatoes. They\u2019re wrapped in plantain leaves to resemble a Christmas present. Dinner is concluded with a dessert of tembleque<\/em>, a coconut-based pudding that\u2019s creamy, jiggly and perfectly sweet. Don\u2019t miss out on the traditional Christmas drink of Puerto Rico, the coquito<\/em>. It\u2019s the Puerto Rican version of eggnog and is packed with delicious coconut flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n

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